Post by jeffolie on May 20, 2008 18:22:25 GMT -6
Race played a decisive role in Hillary Rodham Clinton's lopsided victory in Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary in Kentucky, the latest contest to emphasize how fierce her rivalry against Barack Obama has become among party voters.
Even as Obama edges toward his party's nomination, the Illinois senator showed little progress in chipping away at Clinton's dominance among whites — including the better-educated ones who have been a tossup group between the two rivals.
Nearly two-thirds of white college graduates backed Clinton in Kentucky. Only in Arkansas have more of them favored Clinton among the 32 states that have held Democratic primaries in which both candidates competed.
Three quarters of whites who have not completed college — a bulwark of Clinton support this year — also backed the New York senator. She has seldom done better this year with those blue-collar white voters — little surprise considering Kentucky has a high proportion of whites and one of the country's highest proportions of non-college-graduates.
In addition, only about four in 10 whites in Kentucky said they would vote for Obama in a matchup with John McCain in the general election. Nearly as many said they would support the Republican, and the rest said they would not vote.
It was not just the voters' race, but their racial attitudes, that proved influential.
About one in five whites said race played a role in choosing a candidate Tuesday — on par with results in several other Southern states. Nearly nine in 10 of that group backed Clinton — the highest proportion yet among the 28 states where that question has been asked in exit polls.
Only three in 10 whites who said race was a factor said they would vote for Obama should he oppose McCain in November. Four in 10 said they would back McCain, while the rest said they wouldn't vote.
Among whites who said race was not a factor in picking a candidate Tuesday, half said they would support Obama over McCain.
Oregon was also voting Tuesday. With its mail balloting still under way Tuesday evening, interviews there showed stark contrasts with Kentucky. Only about one in 10 white voters in Oregon — which is more liberal than Kentucky — said the race of the candidates was important to them.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/campaign_exit_poll;_ylt=AtCqCkCGcUHOGPKKj4Jn2Eis0NUE
Kentucky whites sweep primary for Clinton
Even as Obama edges toward his party's nomination, the Illinois senator showed little progress in chipping away at Clinton's dominance among whites — including the better-educated ones who have been a tossup group between the two rivals.
Nearly two-thirds of white college graduates backed Clinton in Kentucky. Only in Arkansas have more of them favored Clinton among the 32 states that have held Democratic primaries in which both candidates competed.
Three quarters of whites who have not completed college — a bulwark of Clinton support this year — also backed the New York senator. She has seldom done better this year with those blue-collar white voters — little surprise considering Kentucky has a high proportion of whites and one of the country's highest proportions of non-college-graduates.
In addition, only about four in 10 whites in Kentucky said they would vote for Obama in a matchup with John McCain in the general election. Nearly as many said they would support the Republican, and the rest said they would not vote.
It was not just the voters' race, but their racial attitudes, that proved influential.
About one in five whites said race played a role in choosing a candidate Tuesday — on par with results in several other Southern states. Nearly nine in 10 of that group backed Clinton — the highest proportion yet among the 28 states where that question has been asked in exit polls.
Only three in 10 whites who said race was a factor said they would vote for Obama should he oppose McCain in November. Four in 10 said they would back McCain, while the rest said they wouldn't vote.
Among whites who said race was not a factor in picking a candidate Tuesday, half said they would support Obama over McCain.
Oregon was also voting Tuesday. With its mail balloting still under way Tuesday evening, interviews there showed stark contrasts with Kentucky. Only about one in 10 white voters in Oregon — which is more liberal than Kentucky — said the race of the candidates was important to them.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/campaign_exit_poll;_ylt=AtCqCkCGcUHOGPKKj4Jn2Eis0NUE
Kentucky whites sweep primary for Clinton